Cost and Vaccination Schedules Dogs or Cats Need To Enter Japan

Vaccination requirements for pets traveling internationally to Japan

Japan is a stunning country, and the country’s citizens keep a large number of dogs and cats as pets. If your cat or dog meets all of the requirements for pet importation that have been established by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, then you will be permitted to bring your pet with you to Japan.

 

There is no case of rabies in Japan; nevertheless, the country does have stringent bio-security legislation in place to ensure that the disease does not enter the country or spread within it.

Here is the recommended immunization plan for dogs and cats of all ages that will be traveling internationally with their owners to Japan, which is an island nation in East Asia.

Why is it vital to vaccinate pets prior to taking them over international borders?
Vaccinations for animals offer protection against infections that could prove fatal to the animal.

It is required that your pet be completely immunized against the majority of animal diseases that are common in both the country from which they are coming and the country to which they are going before they can travel internationally. This assures that they are safe and protected from infections, and that they will not bring harmful diseases from one country to another as a result of their travels.

READ ALSO: Vaccination Schedules Dogs or Cats Need To Enter Switzerland

Japan’s recommended vaccination regimen for pets

According to the guidelines that govern the importation of pets into Japan, every single one of them is required to be completely immunized against rabies as well as any other prevalent pet diseases. The following is a schedule of vaccinations required for transporting pets to Japan:

Every single pet that is brought into Japan from a country that is not on the approved list is required to receive two separate rabies vaccinations. The term “non-designated countries” refers to every country in the world that is not Iceland, Australia, the Fiji Islands, Hawaii, New Zealand, or Guam.

It is mandatory to use either the inactivated viral vaccination or the recombinant modified vaccine; live rabies virus vaccine will not be tolerated.

Before the first vaccination can be given to the pet, the animal must be at least 91 days old. After thirty days have passed since the initial treatment, a second dose must be administered, but only if there is still time before the first dose loses its efficacy. In the event that the vaccination’s expiration date has passed, your pet will require a third dose before flying to Japan.

Before entering Japan, your pet is required to go through a rabies titre test, often known as an RNATT. It is imperative that the sample be analyzed in a certified facility before it can be used in the test.

READ ALSO: What Temperature Is Too Cold For Cats? How to Keep Cat Warm

Additional immunizations for domesticated dogs and cats include the following:

Distemper, Hepatitis, and Parvovirus are diseases that can affect dogs.
Rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia, and calicivirus are the diseases that can affect cats.
The date of the rabies titre test must be more than 180 days in the past before a pet can fly to Japan from a country that is not on the list of designated nations.

You need to time the travel of your pet so that it enters Japan when the rabies vaccine and the rabies titre test are still effective. If a pet is brought to Japan before the required waiting time of 180 days has passed, then the pet will be required to spend the remaining waiting period in quarantine.

READ ALSO: Compulsory Vaccination Schedules Dogs or Cats Need To Enter Serbia

Transportation of pets to Japan

Transporting pets over international borders is not always a straightforward process, as different nations have varying requirements for the importation of pets. It is imperative that each and every guideline be adhered to precisely, or else your pet will either be sent back or put into indefinite quarantine.

 

As a result, it is recommended that you collaborate with a pet transport company that has been granted IPATA accreditation in order to receive assistance with the move. An experienced pet travel consultant will see to it that all of the requirements for importing pets are satisfied, and that your pet enjoys a trip that is both safe and stress-free.

Requirements for Importing Pets into Serbia and Other Member States of the European Union from Third Countries, Including Ukraine

SYSTEM FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS

Either a transponder, which is an electronic identifying device, or a tattoo that is easily readable is required to be carried by dogs, cats, and ferrets.

VALID ANTI-RABIES VACCINATION.

Documentation showing proof of immunization against rabies must be included with the health certificate. Before the pet may be vaccinated, it needs to have a microchip implanted.

THE CERTIFICATE OF HEALTH SERVES AS THE IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT.

An official veterinarian of the nation from where the animal will be imported is required to issue an identity document that includes a description of the animal. Dogs, cats, and ferrets must have a health certificate that was issued by either an official veterinarian or a veterinarian who has been authorized by the competent authorities to provide such certificates. In addition to recognizing health certificates written in Polish, Poland also acknowledges translations that have been notarized.

NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODY TITRATION TEST.

test results must be at least equal to 0.5 IU/ml and must have been performed in an accredited laboratory on a sample that was collected by a licensed veterinarian at least 30 days after immunization and at least three months before importing an animal. An approved veterinarian is required to write down the results of the titration test in the area of the identity document that is designated for that purpose.

If you are considering migrating to Japan with your pet, the following information is essential for you to be aware of.

How To Bring Your Dogs or Cats To Japan

Get a head start on your planning.

When traveling internationally with a dog or cat as a pet, the process is usually complicated because it requires documentation, veterinarian checkups, immunizations, and a great deal more.

If you are going on an international relocation with your pet, it is strongly recommended that you begin planning for the move as soon as possible. It is recommended that you start the process of moving to Japan approximately four to five months before the day that you are scheduled to go.

You should take your pet to the veterinarian so that they can give it a clean bill of health. Work with your pet’s veterinarian to improve your pet’s health before traveling with them, especially if your pet suffers from any medical conditions or is overweight. In addition to this, you should get your pet started on the required immunization regimen right away and start housebreaking them right away.

Make sure to check your country: There are recognized regions as well as non-marked regions.
Japan has divided the countries of the world into two distinct groups, called Designated regions and Non-designated regions, based on the prevalence of the rabies virus in each country.

Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, the Fiji Islands, Hawaii, and Guam are the regions that have been designated.
The non-designated territories include every other nation.
To be allowed to import a dog or cat into Japan from a nation that is part of a designated territory, your canine or feline companion must satisfy at least one of the following requirements:

The canine or feline in question was born and raised at the specified location without interruption.
Before being shipped to Japan, the canine or feline in question must have spent at least 180 days continuously residing in a specific region.
Since it was first brought directly from Japan, the dog or cat has lived without interruption inside the specified geographic area.

If your dog or cat does not meet any of these requirements, or if it has been in a recognized location for a period of less than 180 days, your pet will be required to spend some time in quarantine upon arriving in Japan in order to make up for the number of days that were missed.

Obtain a microchip for your pet.

The procedure of implanting a microchip into your dog or cat as a pet is the first stage in the importation process. Microchips according to the ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 standards are required to be implanted in all canines and felines brought into Japan. These microchips have 15 digits and are required in order to identify your pet. Check to see that the number contained on your pet’s records for the microchip doesn’t have any inconsistencies.

Rabies immunizations and rabies titre test

Before they can enter Japan, all dogs and cats that come from areas that are not classified as rabies-free must receive anti-rabies vaccinations not once but twice. Following the implantation of a microchip, the recipient must then receive the necessary rabies vaccines. When vaccinating your pet, make sure to ask your veterinarian to use either an inactivated virus vaccine or a recombinant modified vaccine. Japan does not accept live rabies virus vaccination.

At the time of the initial rabies vaccination, your canine or feline companion must be at least 91 days old. The second rabies vaccination needs to be given more than 30 days after the initial immunization, but it still needs to be provided within the period of time during which the initial vaccination provides protective immunity. Before entering the country, it is essential that the effective immunity time of the second vaccine be valid; if the immunity period has already passed, a third rabies vaccine must be administered.

A rabies antibody test is also required for domestic cats and dogs arriving from countries not on the approved list. After the second rabies vaccination, a blood sample needs to be taken for the analysis, which then needs to be sent to specific labs that have been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. Only dogs and cats that are entering Japan from a country or region that is not on the approved list are required to have rabies vaccines and rabies serological tests.

Additional vaccinations against distemper, hepatitis, and parvovirus are necessary for all pet dogs, regardless of whether they come from a designated or non-marked location. Rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia, and calicivirus vaccinations are required for domesticated cats kept as pets.

Waiting period

When traveling to Japan with a dog or cat from a country that is not on the list of designated countries, the animal must wait 180 days after undergoing blood sample for the rabies antibody test before entering the country. It is imperative that the date of arrival falls within the timeframe that allows the rabies vaccine to be effective and the rabies antibody test to remain valid.

If it has been less than 180 days since the rabies antibody test, your pet will be placed in quarantine for the duration of the number of days for which they have not waited the required amount of time.

Put in a request to receive advance notification.

At least forty days before your pet is scheduled to arrive in Japan, you are required to inform the Animal Quarantine Service in Japan that they will be accompanying them on their flight into the nation. The application can be submitted electronically (by email, fax, or mail), or manually (through fax or mail).

After reviewing the documentation associated with your canine or feline companion, the Animal Quarantine Service will provide you with an approval form that is necessary in order to bring your pet into Japan.

In addition to clinical inspections, there will be health checks.
A clinical exam on your dog or cat as a pet is required to be carried out by a licensed veterinarian before you may take them outside of the country. Your family dog or cat is required to have a certificate issued by your local veterinarian declaring that it does not exhibit any clinical signs of rabies or leptospirosis.

Entering Japan

The Animal Quarantine Service will conduct an examination of your canine or feline companion upon entering Japan. During the time that it takes to verify that your pet complies with all of the veterinary regulations and that the documentation for your animal is in order, your animal will be detained for a few hours before being returned to you.

Animals kept as pets that do not satisfy Japan’s import regulations will either be compelled to remain in quarantine for up to three months and a half or sent back to their place of origin.

Only the following airports allow passengers to bring their pets into the country of Japan: New Chitose Airport, Narita International Airport, Haneda Airport, Chubu International Airport, Kansai International Airport, Kitakyusyu Airport, Fukuoka Airport, Kagoshima Airport, and Naha Airport. Tomakomai Seaport, Keihin Seaport (Tokyo, Yokohama), Nagoya Seaport, Hanshin Seaport (Osaka, Hyogo), Kanmon Seaport, Hakata Seaport, Kagoshima Seaport, and Naha Seaport are some of the seaports that allow pets to enter Japan. Other seaports include Hakata Seaport, Kanmon Seaport, and Kagoshima Seaport.

Quarantine Putting animals in quarantine is required by law if they do not comply with Japan’s import restrictions. An examination by the Japanese import quarantine service will be required of your pet the moment it arrives in the country.

 

The duration of time that pets must spend in quarantine in order to ensure that they comply with all veterinary and import laws is typically four hours but can be as long as twelve. Pets that are not compliant with the laws will be sent to an Animal Quarantine Service detention facility and placed in quarantine for a period of up to one hundred eighty days.

READ ALSO: Vaccination Schedules Dogs or Cats Need To Enter UAE

Cost of Flying a Dog or Cat To Japan

Type of route	Booking channel1	Price
Domestic Flights (Japan)	Online	40 EUR / 48 USD / 61 CAD 7.000 miles
	Other	45 EUR / 58 USD / 72 CAD
Europe, Morocco, Tunisia and flights between Accra and São Tomé	Online	70 EUR / 88 USD / 111 CAD 14.000 miles
	Other	75 EUR / 95 USD / 114 CAD
Intercontinental Flights2	Online	150 EUR / 185 USD / 235 CAD 30.000 miles
	Other	160 EUR / 199 USD / 239 CAD
To / from Dominican Republic	Online	180 EUR / 225 USD / 281 CAD 36.000 miles
	Other	190 EUR / 236 USD / 283 CAD

Cost of transport In The hold

Type of route	Price up to 32kg / 70lb	Price from 32kg (70lb) to 45kg (99lb)
Domestic Flights (Japan)	80 EUR / 101 USD / 121 CAD	130 EUR / 162 USD / 195 CAD
	16.000 miles	26.000 miles
Europe, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel and flights between Accra and São Tomé	120 EUR / 149 USD / 188 CAD	230 EUR / 282 USD / 358 CAD
	20.000 miles	40.000 miles
Intercontinental Flights1	230 EUR / 282 USD / 358 CAD	300 EUR / 367 USD / 466 CAD
	40.000 miles	60.000 miles
To / from Dominican Republic	275 EUR / 334 USD / 427 CAD	355 EUR / 404 USD / 520 CAD
	55.000 miles	71.000 miles

Get in touch with PetsOnlineGuide for a no-obligation estimate on the cost of transporting your dog or cat to Japan as well as more information on the importation of pets into Japan if you have plans to take them there.